Lahti Pelicans, the Finnish Liiga ice hockey club based in Lahti, has used a pelican-themed visual identity since the club adopted its current name in 1996. The club’s current logo, introduced in June 2016, was created for the team’s 20th anniversary season and remains in use today.
Design and History
The Pelicans identity dates to 1996, when the team was renamed and adopted the pelican as its mascot, replacing the earlier white, orange and black colors with green and yellow.[1] The club’s visual identity has since undergone two logo renewals, according to a 2021 retrospective in Etelä-Suomen Sanomat.[2]
The current logo was unveiled on June 22, 2016, via the club’s website and social media channels.[3] The redesign was commissioned for the club’s 20th anniversary, which the team celebrated in the following season.[4] Markus Heinonen, design director at the advertising agency Mainostoimisto Ilme, was responsible for the logo design.[4]
Contemporary media coverage described the new mark as a noticeably more streamlined and aggressive version of the pelican compared with its predecessor.[5] Heinonen commented that the emblem conveys determination that reflects the Pelicans of today.[4] A columnist for Uusi Lahti noted that the logo’s slightly triangular shape distinguishes it from the circular crests and shields common in sports branding, and that its features follow the club’s original 1996 logo rather than introducing entirely new ideas.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The pelican motif has been central to the club’s identity since the 1996 renaming, when the bird was adopted as the team mascot.[1] The 2016 redesign kept the pelican in the jersey crest while making the bird’s depiction more direct and aggressive.[5] The club’s official graphic guidelines state that the logo’s colors are turquoise, blue, white and orange, and that these colors must not be altered.[7]
Typography and Design
The club’s official graphic guidelines specify that the logo’s clear space is determined by the height of the opening in the letter P (designated as x), and that the logo must be placed with at least this amount of empty space on every side.[7] The guidelines also state that the transparent version of the logo may only be used against a solid background, and that the colored version should be used otherwise.[7] The official color specifications provided in the guidelines are Pantone 144 (orange), Pantone 306 (turquoise) and Pantone 295 (dark blue).[7]
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